Resting by the Tum Tum Tree
by Kira Loves
Summary: A retelling of Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass with the characters of Deadman Wonderland. Yaoi Slash, Moderate.
1. Waking to Wonderland

Once upon a time there was a body sleeping in the abyss. It was a small body, young and fragile but capable of growing into great strength. It could be said that the body floating there in the midst of the blackness was nothing but a cruel joke. It was possibly one of the most defenseless forms and inside of it was the potential to unlock all the choas in the universe. It was not a mere babe but it wasn't a man either. It was boy.

Then, the strangest of things happened and by chance or design the young boy awoke. As his eyes opened he took in the abyss around him. There was a threat in the ominous black and as the boy took in his first few seconds of darkness, he realized he did not belong. He drew his waking first breath, a frightened gasp and as he did he fell.

_I'm falling._ He thought to himself, the wind whipping past his ear so fast and harsh that it sounded like screams, _why is this happening to me? Where am I?_

His arms panicked as they searched for something to grasp onto. His eyes searched the vast blackness for any sign of light or shape or color. He would have even been happy to have found a shadow were that possible in a void.

"No," he whispered, his eyes targeting the area above him, searching still for a source of some tangible entrance, perhaps where he had first fallen into the blackness.

He brought his limbs toward his body, fighting with the current of wind going past him. He formed the fetal position and closed his eyes tight though there was no difference between the dark outside and the dark behind his own eyes.

"NOOOO!" he screamed, his throat aching from the sheer volume and desperation of it as he let limbs free, spreading them out as if he could conquer the darkness with his own state of existence.

From his small body spread a red light and it seemed to eat at the black around him. The boy's body was racked with pain as this never ending supply of energy shot from every pore in his skin, every cell in his body. The darkness went on forever but the red attacked it until it reached such power and dominance that for a brief moment the world went white.

The boy then felt the impact of ground on the side of his body. He kept his eyes closed but slowly he opened them. He was waking for a second time but instead of a world of dark he woke to a world of color.

All around the boy was a forest made of the oddest shapes and colors. The ground the boy woke up on was an obnoxious shade of green and just under that he could see the dirt was so rich a brown that it was almost red. The trees were tall and brightly colored with purples and blues and polka dots. There were large flowers here and there, ones in which the petals length spanned that of a grown man's arm.

The boy sat up and took the world around him in even more. He realized that trees were not trees. As he looked at them, he noticed an absence of bark. He looked upwards to see what topped these monstrously tall plants and there, clouding most the forest were mushroom tops.

"...where am I?"

"You're in Wonderland, silly," a girl's voice answered.

The boy turned around quickly to find a girl standing where there hadn't been a girl standing before. She was bent down so that they were face to face.

"Who- who are you?" the boy stuttered, stumbling back a little from the invasiveness of how close she was to his face.

She was a pretty little albino girl with big red eyes. She was clad in a skin tight suit that blended with her pale flesh so well that it seemed she wore nothing. Her eyes were round and red and rimmed with thick white lashes. Her hair was long and the fair locks shimmered in the sunlight from the clearing.

She titled her head to the side, a little confused by the boys question. She was about to answer when something strange happened.

Two, white rabbit ears seemed to pop up from the side of her head. The girl was so pale that the boy hadn't noticed them sitting at rest. Now the ears were pronounced and at attention, the red insides veering off in this direction and that as the ears tried to pinpoint something.

"Your ears..." the boy said, astounded.

Finally, the albino girl's ears had locked on target. She jumped high into the air and far, disappearing into the mushrooms.

"Wait!" the boy called out.

He got up quickly though clumsily and began to go after the pale girl with the bunny ears.

"Please come back!" the young boy begged.

It seemed to get darker the further the boy ran into the mushroom forest and as the darkness grew so did the boy's desperation. He couldn't go back to the darkness and yet as he chased the only other creature he had seen, shadows clung and crawled onto the world around him.

"Come back!" he yelled again.

As he continued pursuing the girl, he came to the realization that she may have changed directions. She may have even hid for a moment just to turn around and go back to where they'd started. If that was the case, the boy should turn back but as he turned around, he realized that it was very possible that he had been the one to change directions and that backtracking in a straight line would get him even more lost.

_Lost._

The boy was at a dead halt in the middle of a mushroom forest in a land he didn't recognize and he was all alone. Not only that but it dawned on him that not only did he not know _where_ he was, he didn't even know _who_ he was.

The lack of knowledge terrified him as did the growing shadows around him. He was indeed lost in every sense of the word.

The boy, feeling hopeless, began to cry. He fell down to his knees, curled up into a ball and sobbed.

"What's going on?" he cried questions to no one, "Where am I? What is this place? Who am I?"

There was a single solitary chuckle. It was amused but not friendly.

The boy lifted his head slightly and looked around for the source of noise. He saw nothing at first but upon his second glance around, he noticed a light hiding in one of the more shadowed areas, sitting inbetween two mushroom stalks. It was a crescent shape with a dim glow.

It was a grin.

"Who's there?" the boy demanded to know.

"You are quite something aren't you?" a voice said, matching the bemused giggle.

The grin slowly fleshed out and a figure emerged toward the boy.

It was a man in a dark gray business suit. His grin was wide, his teeth yellowed and it felt as if the smile was filled with dirty little secrets. The toothy smirk seemed like a permanent expression and the man's eyes were slanted to a close as if he were thoroughly entertained by the world around him. Two gray striped cat ears prodded from his head and behind him swished a thin, sleek tail bearing the same colors.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"_Who_ are _you_?" the cat man asked back, elongating the words and bellowing before chuckling, "Ah, you really must meet the caterpillar. He's quite the laugh."

"I asked you who _you_ are," the boy said, becoming annoyed more than he was scared.

The man grimaced a little and the expression seemed inherently unnatural on his face.

"You're not very fun are you?" he said, "Well, if you must know I'm a Cheshire cat."

"A _Cheshire_ cat?"

"You don't know what Cheshire is? Cheshire; the land of many cows and milk? And I'm a cat? ...you're not the smartest one in the bunch are you?" the cat man replied, sounding both insulting and disappointed.

"So, this place is called Cheshire?"

"No, why would it be called that?"

"But you just said that' you're from Cheshire," the boy whined.

"No I said I _am_ a Cheshire cat."

"So we're _not_ in Cheshire?"

"No," the man's grin seemed to grow if that were possible, "But I sure do smile like we are."

"Just tell me where we are!" the boy yelled and stood up, becoming more and more frustrated than afraid.

Again, the Cheshire cat grimaced. The majority of his smile was retained but the frown caused it to just barely turn downwards at the tips. His ears seemed a little less perked and his striped tail paused its lazy sway.

"All right," he said, "no need to get upset."

His smile returned and with it came the absence of honesty. No, it wasn't a lying smile. It just wasn't completely telling the truth.

"You're in Wonderland dear boy," he leaned in closer to the boy, "in _my_ Wonderland."

"Y-_your_ Wonderland?"

The Cheshire cat took a step away from the boy and turned around. His tail still had that calm swing to it, slight but ever present.

"Wait!" the boy cried out, "You can't just leave me here!"

The boy looked down at the ground for a moment. His look was sad, a little lost but by no means defeated. He had a quiet determination to him.

"...I don't even know where I am in this Wonderland."

The cat turned back around to face the boy. He was amused with the young man and found him to be very promising.

"I'll tell you what," he said playfully and maliciously, "why don't you go this way-"

He gestured his right hand to the left.

"-or this way-"

He gestured his left hand to the right so that his forearms crossed. He then turned his hands to fists and held up the 'x' made by his arms to the boy.

"-or you could always go the Hatter's way."

"The Hatter's way? What does that mean?"

"'Dead center.'" the Cheshire Cat gruffed up his voice and then laughed, "The Hatter's also fun more so than the caterpilliar I'd say. Can't say the caterpillar doesn't make you think though."

The Cheshire turned back around and headed back to the spot that he had appeared.

"Wait! Don't go!" the boy cried.

"How did that song go again?" the cat wondered as he literally began to disappear, "Da da da da and the slithy toves-"

The boy watched as the cat's tail made one last swish before vanishing.

The boy felt helpless again. He wasn't sure what the cat had meant by the "Hatter's way" but he knew that there wasn't any point in crying. At least he had some guidance however vague and useless it was. A direction was a direction.

"Well, he said I could left or right or the Hatter's way," the boy reasoned, "and that means that the Hatter's way is neither left nor right."

The boy looked behind him.

"I've already been where I've already gone and I want to get somewhere else so going backwards isn't going help me."

The boy thought hard. He didn't want to go left or right. Left and right were too vague for his liking. The Hatter's way at least had a title to it but what direction?

"Oh!" the boy said before laughing, "I can be slow sometimes! Of course."

He put his arms into an 'x.'

"If it's not left or right or backward then it has to be forward," he said, "dead center..."

With that the boy begun to move forward not sure what he would find along Hatter's way but glad to finally have a direction to go in. It was much better than chasing after people...er, animals? People with animal motifs? Either way, the boy had a way to go and hopefully that way would have some answers.


	2. Hatter's Way

**A/N: I'm surprised that I didn't put a note or a disclaimer or ANYTHING in the first chapter. Ermehgerd, where's my head at these days? Well, just to let you know the slashy goodness begins in this chapter. Again, it's not my whole story but it does play a significant role.**

**Oh and it's of a homosexual nature. D: And there is a severe age gap. DOUBLE D: D:**

**So if you don't like the pairing, I sincerely do not give a shit in the slightest. Any "oh my god, you just had to ruin the story with your icky yaoi" comments will be ignored in the same way that I ignore Shiro and Ganta being a legitimate couple. ;D If you don't like the yaoi, don't like the pairing and can't get over if for all of six chapters to read a story then you can ever so kindly get the fuck out. :)**

**AND NOW WE ALL MOVE ON TO WHAT WE CAME FOR.**

As the boy continued through the mushroom forest he felt more and more claustrophobic. The mushrooms were so tall and their tops were so big that hardly any sunlight seemed to make it through. The vibrant colors that the boy had first woke to had seemed to dull and dim in the dark. He wondered briefly if he too would grow dark and grey scale.

He shook the thought out of his head. He needed to focus on what little knowledge he had and keep pushing forward.

_I'm in a place called Wonderland. I'm in a mushroom forest. I took directions from a man who's a Cheshire cat and the path I'm on is called Hatter's way. I'm looked for a pale girl with white rabbit ears._

The boy knew he was also looking for answers. He especially wanted to know who he was, how he got here and what he was meant to do here. At the very least he wanted a name.

_I guess I could name myself but...what would I call myself?_

The boy noticed light bleeding throughout the shadows. It seemed he was coming towards a clearing. He also heard something. It sounded like a song. He moved a little faster hoping that whoever was singing could also give him some insight on his questions.

"Willows, cedars, sycamores" the voice sang.

It was a young girl's voice. It seemed to warble a little on the notes. Her words ran together as if there were too many to sing.

The boy had reached another clearing and still the world around him continued to impress and stun him. There in the middle of the clearing was a round table and at it sat three people. One of which was the white rabbit girl. The boy ran to the table, his shoes making tapping noises on the blue cobblestone that encircled the ground. The girl was swaddled in a mismatched, stitched blanket. She was happily swaying side to side and finishing up her song.

"...this song will set you free."

"Hey!" the boy shouted to her, "Rabbit girl!"

The girl blinked before smiling happily.

"Ganta!" she shouted.

She sprung forth from the blanket and tackled the boy with a hug.

"Ganta! Ganta! Ganta!" she cheered.

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

Also at the table sat a teenage boy and a grown man. The teenager sipped at his tea and the the man turned away from the scene with a slight blush on his face.

"What did I say about having tea with us!?" the man shouted though he still couldn't look at the scene playing out, "Cover yourself!"

The teenager got up and picked up the ugly blanket the girl had been sitting in before. He walked over to the girl who was cuddling the boy and chanting "Ganta".

"You should cover up," the teenage boy told her, "for Hatter's sake."

The girl stood up and innocently looked down to her skin tight suit.

"But I don't get it. What's wrong with my clothes?" she pondered.

"Still, if you stay for tea, you shouldn't upset the host, y'know?" the older boy reasoned.

"Okay," she mumbled.

Suddenly, the girl went hyper aware. Her ears shot straight up and her body went rigid. Her ears turned slightly, swiveling to find something.

"I have to go," she said quickly before turning away from the two boys.

She took a jump, her body traveling an inhuman distance.

"Bye, Ganta!" the girl shouted as she continued to make her way back into the mushroom forest.

The young boy watched her with equal parts confusion and awe. She must have very powerful legs to jump such distances.

The older boy held out his hand to the younger.

"Ganta is it?" he asked.

The boy focused back to the situation at hand and looked at the older boy's hand. He took it but with hesitance.

"Yeah," he responded, "I guess."

_So my name is Ganta, _he thought. _I guess I can get used to that._

"Well Ganta," the older boy said as he helped him up, "I'm the March Hare and sitting at the table is my friend the Mad Hatter."

"Hatter?" Ganta thought out loud, "So I guess I did go Hatter's way."

"Is she gone yet?" the Hatter asked.

He was a tall man, roughly in his early to mid-twenties. His skin was tan and his body was muscular. The Hatter wore a long overcoat with no undershirt. On his head was a top hat, stitched poorly and made of grays and blacks.

Ganta looked over to the older boy. He was only a few years older than Ganta. The boy was dressed in a crimson, old fashioned suit with a cream colored undershirt. The March Hare turned towards the Hatter.

"Yeah, she's gone," he replied.

Ganta could now see why the March Hare had his name. Sure enough, on the sides of his head were two light brown, rabbit ears that matched the color of his hair. They were very small though unlike the girl's ears, and they stayed up and at a point.

The Hatter uncovered his eyes to reveal that he had an eye patch. He looked much too masculine to be sitting at a table for tea and the March Hare looked too sophisticated and polite to be keeping his company.

"Thank God," the Hatter sighed, "So what brings you here kid? And what's with the outfit?"

Ganta looked down at himself and was stunned to see what he was wearing. It was a white, short sleeve, button up top with a thin, black bow at the top securing the collar. The shirt was tucked into a pair of light blue shorts that hit right above his knee cap. His knees were bare but right underneath them were white stockings and at the end of those were a pair of black, flat Mary Jane's.

Ganta was dressed like a little English school boy.

"It wasn't like I picked this or anything!" Ganta argued as his cheeks grew red.

Ganta's hands instinctively went to hide at his knees as if having them exposed was embarrassing. He meant to hide his ridiculous outfit when really he looked like a girl trying to keep her skirt down.

The Hatter smiled. There was something interesting about his smile. It had warmth to it and a sense of approval but at the same time there was something else to it. Something that Ganta couldn't quite pin but something that oddly excited and intimidated him all at once.

"Hey, I didn't say I didn't like it," the Hatter assured him, "It's just a little young for you isn't it? How old are you anyway?"

"I'm fourteen," Ganta squeaked.

Ganta wasn't sure how he knew that. In fact, he knew he had no way of knowing that. It seemed right though, the number fourteen. People always said that you were only as old as you felt. Ganta felt like he was fourteen. Although, the more Ganta thought about it he wasn't sure what people he'd heard that from or if he'd heard it all considering life had just started a little more than an hour ago.

Ganta sighed and decided that if it felt like a fact then it was a fact. There was no sense in trying to prove everything anyway. Eventually, he was bound to get to the point where he have to prove the proof that proved the proof in the first place and that wasn't a mess he was going to tackle any time soon.

"You should come and sit at the table. Have a cup of tea. We have cakes," the Hare offered before looking at the table and frowning, "Well, we _had_ cakes. Shiro sure has an appetite for sweets."

"Shiro?" Ganta asked, confused.

"Oh, that's right," the Hare said as he pulled a chair open for Ganta, "I got your name before I got your title. That was kind of rude of me. So, you're Ganta the..?"

Ganta looked at him blankly. He wasn't sure what the Hare meant and he was still hesitating whether or not he should sit down and join the two strangers for tea.

"Enough with that title crap," the Hatter said before throwing his cup of tea over his shoulder, allowing it break and clatter on the cobblestone, "A title's just a title but a name lasts forever."

The Hatter kicked a chair away from the table slightly and spun it around with ease before letting it face towards Ganta.

"The name's Senji," the Hatter declared, "Now why don't you have a seat?"

Ganta nervously went and sat by Senji's side. He was still very confused as to what was meant with names and titles but Senji's muscular appearance and firm yet friendly demeanor left little room for argument. Ganta felt like he paled in comparison to the man next to him. Even sitting down, Ganta's height barely reached Senji's shoulder. Standing, Ganta was lucky if he came up to his chest.

"There," Senji smiled.

Again, there was something odd about Senji's smile. It seemed a little too warm and a little too approving. It wasn't malicious in any sense of the word yet it intimidated Ganta. It felt overtly familiar in a way like Senji was looking at a picture of an old close friend. Even Senji's body was turned towards him offering Senji's full attention to Ganta.

Ganta felt a little flustered and a tad jealous as he took in Senji closer up. The abs that peeked from the open coat were rippling and fantastic and manly all the way down to Senji's low hung, black jeans. Senji was masculine but he wasn't so masculine that he was hulking or brutish. He was just fit.

Ganta glanced down at his own body again. It was a soft and slender and boyish and the outfit didn't help either.

_I wish I could look that manly._ Ganta thought in slight awe.

The Hare took a seat across from Senji and Ganta.

"Well," he said before he picked up a new cup and took a sip, "since we're all going by a name basis; I'm Yō."

_So everyone here has a title and a name._ Ganta thought. _Senji's the Hatter…Y_ō_ is the March Hare…then…_

"Shiro was it?" Ganta asked.

While Ganta had been thinking Yō had grabbed yet another cup and Senji had begun smoking a black and blue striped cigarette.

"The White Rabbit?" Yō asked and then clarified, "Yeah that's Shiro. She's a part of the Red Queen's court. As a result, she never really stays long. The Queen's always calling her though for what I wouldn't know. Sometimes I wonder if even Shiro knows what the Queen wants."

"The _Red_ queen," Senji pointed out, "not _the_ queen. Bitch doesn't own all of Wonderland."

"You know how I feel about the queens, Senji," Yō warned.

"Yeah, I know." Senji shook the ashes of his cigarette into a half teacup that lay on its side, "You'll put your loyalties wherever that damn sister of yours does."

"And what's so wrong with that?" Yō said, obviously getting annoyed and angry.

"Nothing," Senji shrugged, "'cept that you're sister's a bitch."

Yō stood up from the table and slammed his hands down on it.

"Don't you talk about my sister!" he defended.

"Wait," Ganta piped in.

His small voice seemed to defy the growing tension between Senji and Yō. With its innocence and slight squeak it seemed to have deflated the situation entirely.

"You have a sister?" Ganta asked, "Is she a rabbit too?"

Yō sighed and took his seat.

"I'm the March _Hare_, not a rabbit," Yō pointed out, "and no. Why would she be a hare?"

"Well, why wouldn't she be?" Ganta asked back.

Yō went to answer the question but found himself speechless as he couldn't think of an answer. Senji then chuckled once but it was a hearty chuckle and as he laughed he gave Ganta a slap on the back. It had caught Ganta a little off guard and Senji's hand lingered there.

"I like you, kid," Senji said somewhat affectionately.

All of a sudden a mouse jumped up and ran across the table. No one panicked at this though and while Ganta found it surprising, he felt more curious toward the matter. He was happy that he felt curious too. It was better to be curious than frightened.

Ganta still felt awkward though that Senji was touching him so personally but he tried to ignore that.

The mouse ran straight up to Senji and upon further inspection it turned out not to be a mouse at all. It was a tiny woman in a white uniform. On her hat were two mice ears and the end of her belt fell behind her like a tail.

"Hatter, Senji," the small woman announced as officially as her small voice would allow her to, "you have been asked to come to the White Court by the insistence of the White Queen."

She stood militantly but her tiny stature and cute face revealed that she was a novice.

"Really, huh?" Senji asked, "What for?"

"Insistence?" Yō commented, "Your queen sounds a little needy."

"I have no queen," Senji argued before turning back to the small woman, "now what the heck does she want me for?"

"That's classified," the woman responded.

Senji took a long drag from his cigarette. He blew the smoke upwards, letting it spiral out from his lips.

"Dormouse," he said to the tiny woman, "how long have you known me?"

"That's Lieutenant Dormouse," she tried to assert herself but ultimately she broke into softer character, "if you wouldn't mind."

"Lieutenant Dormouse then," Senji rephrased, "You've known me for years and while I think it's great that you're getting stronger and stuff working for the White Queen but that ain't the life for me. So either you tell me what she wants me for or she can do it herself."

Lieutenant Dormouse seemed to pause and think about the proposition for a moment. She looked the type to start blathering out everything she knew all at once but with a push of her tiny glasses she managed to reassert her chipper, militant attitude.

"The White Queen has recently come across information regarding the status of the war and she would like to enlist you in finding the a-"

Senji's hands suddenly clapped over Lieutenant Dormouse.

"Senji," Ganta shouted while Yō remained indifferent, "you'll kill her!"

Ganta grabbed at Senji's hands and fought to lift them. Senji easily kept his hands on the table but he watched Ganta with shock. He honestly hadn't expected the boy to react so quickly and to take _him_ on of all people.

"You've got a lot of nerve, kid," Senji observed.

Ganta had put his whole body into prying Senji's hands off the table at this point. He lifted with all of his bodily might in hopes that the little woman was still alive and breathing.

"What are you talking about?!" Ganta continued to shout passionately, her voice occasionally cracking, "You're going to suffocate her! Let her go!"

Senji lifted his hands gently and as he did Ganta still clung to his arm mystified to see the small woman had curled up into a ball and was completely unharmed.

"A-are you all right?" Ganta asked her.

Lieutenant Dormouse looked around her to see that the threat was gone. She stood and saluted to Ganta.

"I'm all right," she confessed, "Senji used to do that a lot back when I came to tea."

Ganta looked back to Senji curiously and Senji shrugged. The shrug reminded Ganta that he was still holding onto Senji as he felt the muscle force travel down Senji's bicep. With embarrassment, he went to let go but Senji brought up his other hand and held Ganta in place.

"Not so fast, kid," Senji said before turning back to Lieutenant Dormouse, "tell your queen that I'll be there and that she better be ready for me."

Lieutenant Dormouse saluted and then scampered off the edge of the table. Ganta hadn't noticed it before but a rather quiet and faithful looking bloodhound had been siting just a few feet from him all this time. Senji stood on the table, momentarily releasing Ganta. On the blood hound's collar was a small saddle which the tiny woman took to and the two went off into the forest.

"A mouse riding a dog…?" Ganta thought out loud.

"All right kid, come on," Senji said as he held out his hand.

As Ganta looked at Senji, he realized that Senji had changed hats. The black and gray top hat had been replaced by a dark gray beanie.

"What happened to your hat?" Ganta asked curiously.

Senji shrugged before grabbing Ganta by the arm and pulling him onto the table.

"It ain't tea time anymore." Senji reasoned, "You better hold on tight, Ganta."

"What? Wait!" Ganta protested.

It was too late by then. Senji had grabbed Ganta arms and wrapped them around his body. Ganta felt awkward being pressed up against Senji's chest and continued to protest.

"This is gonna be hot, kid." Senji said with a smile.

Ganta's face turned stark red.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S GONNA BE HOT!? WHAT'S GONNA BE HOT! LET ME GO!"

The sound of a tea kettle could be heard. It started off quietly and grew louder and louder almost to ear shattering proportions.

"You sure you don't wanna come, Yō?" Senji offered.

Yō simply shook his head but there was a far off almost sad look in his eyes.

Suddenly the entire table shot up from the ground. Ganta screamed as he and Senji went flying into the air table and all.

"What's happening!?" Ganta shouted as he now clung to Senji's torso.

"There's a giant tea kettle underneath the cobblestone. The table just right above the spout. You didn't know?" Senji asked.

"How was I supposed to!?"

"How were you not supposed to?" Senji smirked a bit.

With an expertly timed jump, Senji hopped off the round table and onto one of the large mushroom tops of the forest.

"Wow," Ganta said as he took in the beauty.

The top of the mushroom was even more colorful and brilliant than the bottom. There were colors everywhere, purples and blues and oranges and pinks and greens. There were patterns too, polka dots and stripes. The particular one they were standing on looked like a pink sunset.

"This is beautiful," Ganta praised, "I didn't even realize you could get up here."

"It's a faster way to travel especially since the jub jub bird's dead. No more pest control," Senji said.

Ganta couldn't believe how vast it was. It seemed to go on forever. Every once in a while there was a little interruption; clearings mostly but Ganta could see the white peak of a building poking out of a rather large whole in the forest.

Ganta was just about to ask what it was when Senji looked down at his with that same oddly familiar smile.

"You gonna travel with me like this whole way kid?" he asked, "You're not a koala are ya?"

Ganta immediately let go of Senji and tried to hide his embarrassment.

"It was just a little surprised," Ganta argued, "that's all."

Senji still smiled at him and readjusted his long coat by the lapels.

"Sure kid." he said, "Sure."

**A/N: Yes. I am a fan of Senji x Ganta. I think it is hothothothothothot and NONE SHALL CHANGE ME.**

**And no. I don't support Senji x Toto. I never will. I'm not hatin' just statin'.**

**Leave me reviews and love and such. I hope to get up the new chapter soon.**


	3. Traveling the Tops

**A/N: I'm tired. : / After this is done, my happy ass is going to bed.**

Ganta continued to marvel at each and every mushroom that he and Senji tread across. They were all so specifically detailed, as if they were all their own little masterpieces.

"I can't believe they grow like this," Ganta said as he made a small hop over to a mushroom blended with oceanic colors.

"They say that in the beginning of time," Senji said, "there was this great artist and all the world around us, from each blade of grass to every mushroom, even you and me, is a work of the artist."

"Really?" Ganta pondered.

"Yeah, they even say our lives our part of the 'great work'." Senji said with some sarcasm, "The greatest work they say, since it's all intertwined."

Ganta pouted a little.

"I'm not so sure I like that." Ganta noted, "It makes it sound like we don't have any control."

Ganta didn't quite stick his landing to the next mushroom. The gap was just a little wider than he anticipated. He stumbled a little.

"Hn," Senji easily caught Ganta by the arm and balanced him, "there's a lot of controversy over that but I'm not much for god talk. If you really want to know how I feel about it, I figure we're made a certain way and then we act a certain way because of it."

"What do you mean?" Ganta asked curiously.

Senji sighed and turned his back from Ganta. He eyed the clearing for the White Kingdom. It was still a good distance away.

"We don't really have time for me to get into this, kid," Senji pointed out, "We've still got a lot of ground to cover."

"Well, we've got to talk about something along the way, don't we?" Ganta pushed carefully.

Senji shoved his hands in his pockets. He really did not feel like talking about existence and folklore. He really didn't believe in the whole great artist thing. To be honest, nobody really did. There were maybe one or two old timers who really felt that it was the honest truth but most just saw it as Wonderland mythology.

"To put it short," Senji said gruffly, "I was born a little as who I was and grew into the rest. As far as what I do, I do what I want. It's still what I want but it's not like it's out of character or something. And as far as everyone else is concerned, I don't really give a damn."

Senji said it in such a way that further discussion was out of the question. Ganta felt at if the tone had been a little irritated and he suddenly worried that he'd annoyed Senji.

Senji and Ganta went a few steps across the mushroom. Senji looked over his shoulder to check on the young boy and he noticed the slightly hurt expression on his face. Senji looked forward again quickly, feeling awkward under the silence that moments ago he'd wanted.

"What about you, kid?" Senji asked suddenly.

Ganta looked up. He hadn't really thought about it up until then. So far, he assumed that there was more to his life than the last few hours. After all, he did he feel like he was fourteen years old. Obviously that meant there was some time that needed to be accounted for.

"I'd like to know where I come from," Ganta said, "but no one seems to know that. As far as I know, I fell out of the sky so I don't really expect anyone to know."

"I was kind of aiming for that whole existential crap," Senji said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "but- and let me get this straight- you don't know who you are?"

"No, I don't." Ganta answered, "I mean, I know my name is Ganta now, at least if the white rabbit has anything to say about it but I still don't know how I got here or why I'm here."

There was a pause in the conversation. Senji wasn't very good at it and Ganta had little to no knowledge about anything around him. Finally, Senji just said the first things that came to mind.

"You feel like there's a reason why?"

Ganta mulled it over for a minute. Senji still looked straight forward, leading them across wide mushroom tops. He seemed so strong and at the same time there was a laid back feel to him. He was casual and even friendly in his own way.

"Sure," Ganta reasoned, "I mean, call it crazy, but I feel like there's a reason that I'm here. I feel like I'm supposed to do something but I don't know what."

"Just do what you want," Senji said a bit abruptly, "Screw destiny or whatever you're talking about. Just do what you want, fight for what you want. Either you get it or don't, pretty simple."

"You mean... like following my heart?" Ganta asked.

Senji stopped dead in his tracks. It was such a quick stop that Ganta bumped right into his back. Ganta looked up at the back of Senji's head and began to wonder if he'd done something wrong.

Senji tilted his head back a little and begun to laugh. He turned around and put a hand on Ganta's head, ruffling Ganta's hair a little.

"Sure kid," he said, "that's one way to put it."

Ganta felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't intended to sound childish but he had. He immediately wanted to push Senji's hand away and tell him to stop calling him 'kid' but the urge stopped short of execution.

Senji's eyes lingered a little longer. He blinked and the slight endearment he felt vanished. Senji stared at Ganta with an expression Ganta couldn't describe.

_It's like he's looking for something. He's not confused exactly, he's just...aware? Thinking about something? Something important I think..._

Senji turned away wordlessly and moved forward. Ganta followed a few steps behind, a little glad that the moment had been broken.

Ganta and Senji traveled on for a few more hours and eventually Ganta became comfortable with the silence between them. Senji just wasn't one for words as Ganta had come to assume. Ganta had so many questions about the world around him. Are there other lands than Wonderland? Who was the White Queen? Who was the Red Queen? Why was there a problem between them? Why did people have a name and a title? Were there more tiny people like Lieutenant Dormouse or was she the only one?

Of course, nothing that Ganta had learned up until this point made any sense really. So he was Ganta, didn't know why he was Ganta. So he was in Wonderland, didn't know where exactly that was. The answers he received just spurred more questions but for the time being, Ganta was content to follow Senji. Senji seemed fond enough of Ganta and maybe if Ganta was patient enough, then Senji would give him answers without him asking.

Eventually, it became dark and Senji had the two of them stop for the night. They had settled on a mushroom that had a slight glow. Senji didn't say so but he figured it might keep Ganta from falling off the edge in the middle of the night.

"How far are we?" Ganta asked as he sat down.

Senji shrugged.

"An hour and a half at most," Senji said as he shrugged off his long coat, "but I don't suggest traveling up top at night. It's too easy to misjudge your footing and, well, that's not a fall even I'd want to take."

Ganta stared openly at Senji's body. The long coat had been a bit big on Senji and with Senji's torso and arms bare, his muscles were more impressive. He was muscular but still lean and tall. His tan body was slightly luminescent due to the mushroom and the moonlight. It made him seem dark and mysterious in way.

Senji dropped his long coat carelessly and sat down beside it. He looked back at Ganta, blinked in confusion and then tilted his head slightly to the side..

"You into me or something?" Senji asked.

"What?" Ganta squeaked.

Senji sighed and looked off to his left.

"You don't even know what I'm asking, do you?"

Ganta felt himself blush. He turned away from Senji's body, shining dimly in the moonlight. He didn't want to look at Senji anymore. It made him feel jealous and respectful and...weird. Like tingly weird.

Ganta eyes searched for something to change the subject and soon they landed on huge clearing off in the direction that Senji was looking at. Ganta had been so wrapped up in either looking at the mushrooms or Senji that he hadn't even noticed it until then.

At the top of the clearing poked out some branches. Branches. As in tree branches. They just barely peeked through the clearing and only because the mushrooms became progressively shorter the closer they got to it.

"Is that a-" Ganta asked, squinting in the dark, "is that a tree?"

"That's not a tree," Senji noted, "that's thee tree. The Tum tum tree. It's the only one in all of Wonderland."

"Only one tree?" Ganta furrowed his brow, "But why?"

"I don't know." Senji answered a little harshly, before flopping down on his back and pulling his beanie down to the bridge of his nose, "Damn, you ask too many questions you know that?"

"Hey!" Ganta defended himself, "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on around me, okay?"

Senji lifted his beanie to see out of his eye. He smiled a little when he saw the look of determination on Ganta's face. There was something admirable in that. Sure, the kid didn't know what he was fighting for but he kept on anyway. Senji could respect that.

"You've got gumption, Ganta." Senji said, "I like that."

Ganta watched Senji smile and once again he felt a little awkward under the inexplicable familiarity he felt. Senji winked at Ganta, making the young boy blush. Senji then pulled down his beanie again.

"The Tum Tum tree," Senji explained, "is like the center of all of Wonderland. It's impossible to cut down, not that anybody would. If you cut down the tree, you destroy Wonderland."

Ganta stared off into the distance at the top peeking branches of the Tum Tum tree. He wanted to ask why it was that the death of the Tum Tum tree meant the death of wonderland but he stayed quiet knowing that the less he asked of Senji, the more information Senji gave him.

"Come closer," Senji instructed, his voice low and his hand waving Ganta over.

Ganta crawled over to Senji. Senji's voice was soft and low, almost like a secretive murmur. Ganta was still on his hands and knees when he whispered:

"What?"

Senji then took Ganta's hand, seeming to know where it was even though he couldn't see, and he placed it on his chest. The movement was sudden enough for Ganta not have time to refuse but slow enough to keep Ganta from losing his balance.

Underneath Ganta's palm and underneath Senji's chest was a sturdy heartbeat. It had a consistent and hearty thump to it.

"The tree was named the Tum Tum tree because it's the heart of Wonderland." Senji explained, his mouth serious, "If you put your ear to the bark, you can actually hear it."

As Senji's heart beat steadily, Ganta began to understand the name.

_Tum tum- tum tum- tum tum_.

The steady beat seemed to slowly Ganta's quick one which had sky rocketed upon touching Senji. Slowly but surely it synced up to Senji's and Ganta felt an odd calmness in touching Senji.

Suddenly Senji made a grab for Ganta. He quickly pulled Ganta down and to his chest while simultaneously grabbing his coat. He held Ganta close in an unwavering but gentle embrace and the long coat fell over them like a blanket.

"What are doing?!" Ganta asked, flushed and embarrassed to be pressed so closely to Senji.

Senji's eyes were still hidden behind the beanie. Ganta tried to push himself away from Senji but there was no point. Senji was obviously stronger than Ganta and held the boy with ease.

"It gets cold up here," Senji stated flatly, "You probably haven't notice but you've already started shivering."

Ganta had noticed the slight cold but he didn't want to complain about it. If Senji could handle it (and shirtless no less) than Ganta could handle the cold too.

"I would have been fine!" Ganta argued.

"We'll both stay warmer this way, kid," Senji tried to quiet Ganta as he loosened his grip a little, "Now shut up and quit bein' queer about it."

Ganta felt even more embarrassed. He was not queer. He wasn't. That's why he was so against them touching wasn't it? Because he _wasn't_ gay.

Nonetheless, Senji was warm and for the first time since he'd gotten here, Ganta felt safe in the man's embrace.

"I'm not queer," Ganta mumbled.

Senji tightened his grip again but not in a way that was restricting. It just brought Ganta closer to Senji once more but in a gentler way.f

Ganta didn't know how to respond to that. He felt like asking Senji what he was thinking or why he was holding him the way he was but Ganta quickly let it go. After all, Senji wasn't one for words. He seemed like a man of action.

_Then, what does this action mean?_ Ganta wondered.

Ganta felt like he understood on some level and he attempted to be like Senji and act wordlessly. He nuzzled up closer to Senji and put his ear to Senji's chest. Ganta felt warm and secure and safe and slowly he began to fall asleep as Senji's heart beat.

_Tum tum- tum tum- tum tum._

**A/N: Ah, nothing like a cup 'o fluff before bed. Night! :D**


	4. The White Court

**A/N: By the White Queen's instance, I give you the fourth chapter.**

Ganta groggily rubbed at on eye as he shuffled behind Senji.

"So, how much longer until we get to this 'White Kingdom'?" he asked.

Senji turned and gave a slight smile. There was a odd feeling in Ganta saw Senji smiled. It sparked a nervousness.

"Just about there," Senji said.

Ganta caught up to Senji, who waited at the end of the mushroom.

"Why are we stopping?" Ganta asked.

Senji rolled his eyes a little. Ganta immediately felt himself pout. Senji leaned down and poked at a large metal object that had been inserted into the side of the mushroom.

"You ever say anything that's not a question?" Senji asked.

Before Ganta could ask Senji what he was doing, Senji once again made a grab for Ganta.

"Hey!" Ganta said, narrowly avoiding Senji's quick arms.

Senji was bewildered as he held nothing but air and Ganta felt himself fuming from the core. He held his stance defensively, chest out and legs shoulder length apart. He made fists out of his hands.

"What's the big deal, huh?" Ganta yelled.

Senji looked at him, in slight awe that the younger boy had avoided his embrace and in how angry the boy was getting.

"I was just-"

"Look," Ganta said, his voice temporarily letting out a squeak as he attempted to sound authoritative, "if you want me to do something or go somewhere, you need to ask! You can't just keep grabbing and forcing me!"

Ganta's face was red and he huffed and puffed a little as if the irritation in him was too much for his small frame. Senji was still at a loss for words but only temporarily before he straightened back up and gave an approving smirk to Ganta.

"There's that gumption again," he said.

Ganta more or less visible melted at the sentence and smile. His fists came undone all at once; his fingers hung listlessly. His rigid stance went slack and he let out a small breath.

_How can he do that? Make me calm like this?_

"All right then, Ganta," Senji said, turning once again to the metal object, "you ready to slide?"

Ganta let his mind change topics and peered over the edge. The metal was rounded, the base of whatever pointed edge had been inserted into the mushroom. From the base came out a long, cynlidrical rope. The rope was thick and wide and consisted of a jumble of colored stripes.

"What it is?" Ganta asked.

"It's an old hookah hose," Senji replied, "y'know, the ones people use to smoke with?"

"I know what hookah is," Ganta grumbled, "but where did you guys find one so big?"

Ganta judged that the metal end of the hookah hose had to be at least Senji's height if not bigger.

"The caterpillar," Senji said, "It was sort of his parting gift."

_Caterpillar_? Ganta thought back to the Cheshire cat.

'_He's quite the laugh._' Ganta recalled the cat's sentiments.

"Don't get it wrong; Nagi wasn't a giant or anything," Senji said, "the huge hookah was just one of his big ideas to get rid of the Red Queen. Thought he could smoke her out. He led a little rebel group back in the day."

"What did you mean it was a parting gift?" Ganta asked.

Senji seemed to quiet down a little. He didn't seem sad exactly but somewhat somber. It was a quiet sense of what he knew should be acknowledged as tragedy yet didn't quiet invoke the feeling.

"It was the last good thing he did, before the Cheshire Cat drove him mad with his games."

Ganta thought back to the Cheshire Cat again. The ever present bemused grin on his face. The feeling of fear it gave and the secrets it seemed to keep. It seemed right that the cat would play games. It also seemed natural that the games would drive a person mad.

"So what happened to him?"

"He died."

There was a pause of silence. Ganta's face drained a little and turned white. Senji's brow furrowed.

"It's not all pretty colors and bunny ears here, kid," Senji said, "serious shit happens."

Somehow Ganta already knew that. Despite the playful colors and wondrous things around him, Ganta knew this place wasn't to be trusted. Maybe it was something in the breeze or something in the dirt but something about the world cried out to Ganta and it told him that it was a dangerous place.

Senji suddenly picked up Ganta at the waist. Ganta thrashed in his hold.

"What did I say about grabbing!?" Ganta yelled as he struggled against Senji.

"Oh right," Senji said before putting him down.

Senji took off his coat once again liberating his skin and muscle from the fabric. Ganta found himself staring but this time specifically at Senji's abs. Senji's abs were impressive, rock solid. His pants hung so low on him that Ganta could see the two ends of 'v' that would eventually lead to Senji's-

Ganta shook his head and resisted his blush. His mind did not need to go there. He wasn't even sure why it was going there.

Senji put his coat down on the hose and Ganta suddenly remembered that Senji had asked him earlier if he was ready to slide.

Senji waited somewhat impatiently as Ganta carefully walked out on hose.

"You know," Senji grumbled, "if you'd just let me grab and move you, we'd be at the bottom already."

Ganta looked back and glared at Senji. Ganta then mounted the hose, his legs spread and his butt sticking out a bit as he peered over to try and get a feel for the course of the hose.

Senji swallowed hard at the sight.

"Don't lean too far!" Senji yelled out to him, "that hose is really slick, kid! Even a little motion can send you off too soon."

Ganta nodded and straightened out his posture. Senji sighed out of some relief which he convinced himself was about Ganta's safety.

Senji took his place behind Ganta and placed his firm hands on Ganta's small waist. Senji made a swift motion and brought Ganta's body close, groin and chest against back and bottom.

"What are you-" Ganta began to ask, raising an eyebrow at Senji.

"I can't have you falling off, all right?" Senji growled quickly.

Before Ganta could make anymore of it, Senji leaned forward and hard, forcing Ganta to lean forward. The position was awkward but Ganta couldn't think about it for long as the two began to slide forward and then down.

The hose took a steep dive and Ganta's eye's widened as they built insane momentum. It was like being on a rollercoaster. After the steep dive was a lot of twists and turns but thankfully no loops. Everything Ganta saw was just a cartoonish blur of color and he could hear the wind whipping past him. He was simultaneously terrified and a little excited.

The hose eventually began to take a tight spiral formation, causing the two to slow down.

As the ride slowed, Ganta gathered his senses again. He tried to look back to see Senji but he was brought too close to him to be able to see. Instead, Ganta decided to read Senji by the feel of his body. Ganta turned his head and pressed his ear against Senji's chest and from that chest came a fast beat.

_Tumtumtumtumtumtumtumtum._

Senji's hands were gripping Ganta's hips rather tightly. It hurt but at the same time Ganta didn't mind even thought he felt like Senji was bruising him.

There wasn't much more Ganta could do to read Senji and that was when he felt it.

Against the small of Ganta's back was a lump.

"OH MY GOD!" Ganta shouted in shock.

Just as Ganta was about to struggle away from Senji, the two boys ran out of hose to ride.

Ganta feared tumbling but Senji's sturdy grip held. Senji stood firm and held Ganta even as the inertia caused Ganta to pull forward. After Ganta felt steady on his own two feet, he pushed himself free of Senji.

"Y-you-" Ganta tried to confront Senji.

Senji once again looked at Ganta with a "what's your problem?" face but there was a red tinge to Senji's cheeks that betrayed him and further down was an even bigger and more obvious betrayal.

"Hatter!" a low voice bellowed.

Ganta turned behind him to see a man dressed white armor with a metallic horse-head helmet.

"Who are you?" Ganta asked.

The man ignored Ganta completely and awaited Senji's reply. Ganta turned back to look at Senji, who had thrown his coat back on and seemed to have forgotten about the early awkward situation entirely.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here ain't I, knight?" Senji said as he walked forward.

"Indeed. I shall escort you to the Queen's court, will the boy be accompanying you?" the knight asked.

"Consider him my guest," Senji walked past the knight and then stopped. He turned around and grabbed the knight harshly. He whispered something in his ear which drained the knight's face to the color of his armor and then pushed the knight backwards a bit, "Y' got that?"

The knight nodded, cleared his throat and began to lead the two on.

Ganta looked at Senji curiously and then quietly whispered to him;

"What did you tell him?"

Senji looked down at Ganta with the upmost seriousness.

"I told him that he mentioned what he saw back there to anybody, that I'd split him right down the center with my bare hands."

Ganta gulped and quickly looked away. In a sense, he was glad that Senji's awkward hookah slide boner was not to be discussed and at the same time he was frustrated that he couldn't confront him. The conflicted feelings didn't last long though as Ganta become enchanted and distracted by the kingdom.

The white kingdom was just that. It was white and pristine to the point of unimaginably so much so that as the doors opened to the palace, a bright light emerged from the castle. Ganta covered his eyes to shield them from the painful, blinding light.

"Here," Senji's voice said Ganta's hands were moved from his face.

Senji was putting something onto Ganta's face. Ganta fought it a little but Senji forced the object on anyway.

"There, you can open your eyes now," Senji said.

Ganta opened his eyes to see the world at a blue tint. His hand curious touched the lenses of his dark tinted glasses and he adjusted them slightly.

"Wow," Ganta said, "it's really bright in here."

Ganta looked over at Senji who had inexplicably changed his hat. The hat was a proper captains hat, full with plume and embroidery. On Senji's good eye was a dark colored monocle.

"What's with the hat?" Ganta laughed, "You look like a pirate."

Senji glared down at Ganta and pulled his hat forward a bit.

"Believe it or not, kid," Senji said, "I used to be captain of the guard in this court. So show the 'pirate' here a little respect will ya?"

Ganta immediately felt a little guilty.

"I'm sorry, Senji. I didn't realize-"

"Hey," Senji said, "a hatter wears many hats. It's not a big deal."

Senji put his hand on Ganta's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze to show forgiveness but the touch sent made Ganta's heart skip a beat instead of relaxing him. Senji smiled slightly and let his hand drop back down to his side. Ganta felt his fingers make a fleeting attempt to move towards Senji's but Ganta quickly stifled them by putting his hands behind his back.

Ganta took a closer look at the palace, from the outside it looked to be an simplistic but old style castle. On the inside, it was a modern security fortress. It was neither pretty nor ornamental. It was just blank, clean cut and made to function. Everyone was dressed in military like clothes. They were the same uniform as Lieutenant Dormouse had worn; button up jackets, pressed pants tucked into combat boots, all-white down to the threads and buttons thought to Ganta everything looked blue he knew it was just his glasses.

Several doors and security clearances later, the knight had brought them to the final door.

"So, the queen still too busy with the brain of this place to come out huh?" Senji grunted.

The knight was expressionless but that was mostly due to the fact he'd brought down the visor of his helmet much earlier.

The knight opened the door slightly. Senji began to stride in and Ganta trailed behind him until Senji stopped short, turned around and pushed Ganta away from the door.

"The Queen wants to talk to me, kid," he said, "so it's best you stay out here."

"Hey!" Ganta complained, "That's not fair! If you didn't want me here then why'd you bring me?!"

Senji looked a little blank at this before shrugging.

"You rather I'd left you in the forest?" Senji offered.

Ganta went quiet at that and pouted as Senji went inside, closing the door behind him.

Ganta sat in front of the door. His arms crossed and his knees up to his chest as he waited, slightly irritated but increasingly more despondent.

_This isn't right. I don't know why but I should be in there. I know I should._

"Knight," a female voice said, penetrating Ganta's thoughts, "what are you doing here?"

The knight explained himself quickly to the woman. The woman was a beautiful woman. Her skin was dark and her hair was light thought that was all Ganta could gather about her. The woman looked down at Ganta and Ganta could tell from the variance of shade that the woman's eyes were sparingly light. The woman bent over and looked Ganta in the eyes, searching and analyzing. From her neck hung a little butterfly bell that jingled with the movement. It was the only bit of color on her otherwise normal uniform.

Ganta looked back up at the woman who suddenly smiled at him somewhat tenderly.

"You can go, knight," she said, "I'll watch over him until the Hatter's done."

"Yes, Madame Butterfly," the knight responded before leaving.

_Madame Butterfly? _Ganta thought to himself.

"So," she said as she slid down to Ganta level and sat next to him, "what's your name?"

"Ganta."

The woman smiled and that's when Ganta noticed that, unlike anyone else in the building, she wasn't wearing glasses.

"Well, folks around here call me the Butterfly or Madame Butterfly," she said, "but you can just call me by my name; Karako."

"Don't your eyes hurt?" Ganta said without thinking.

"Huh?" Karako looked confused but then laughed, "Oh, right. You see Ganta, my power is the ability to create a protective covering over any part of my body. Usually I use it in fights and stuff, it's clear so the enemy can't see it and that helps but here I just use it so I don't have to wear those dorky glasses."

"You have super powers?" Ganta asked, shocked.

Karako cocked her head to the side.

"I don't know about super, but lots of people have powers...oh," Karako said suddenly, "You must not have a power. I'm sorry. I just kind of assumed."

_So now everybody has super powers too?_ Ganta mentally groaned.

Ganta remembered back to when he saw Shiro, the rabbit girl, jumping inhuman distances.

_Okay...well I guess it kind of makes sense._

"Does...does the Hatter have a power?" Ganta asked.

"They say he can split a person clean down the middle with the blink of an eye," Karako said seriously before smiling and poking Ganta with her elbow lightly, "which is kind of funny considering he only has one eye now."

Ganta thought about that for a moment. So the eye patch wasn't just for show. He really was missing an eye.

"How'd he lose that anyway?" Ganta asked.

Karako looked sad all of a sudden. She stared at her legs and brought a hand to her butterfly bell.

"The Cheshire Cat," she said.

Ganta put a hand on Karako's shoulder and she seemed to wake from her apparent sadness and growing quiet anger.

"Are you all right?" Ganta asked.

Karako nodded and then turned her body towards Ganta.

"Are you sure you don't have a power, kid?" Karako asked.

"I don't think so," Ganta replied, "Why do you ask?"

Karako looked deeped into Ganta's eyes. Ganta really wanted to know the color of those light eyes. He was sure they were as pretty as the rest of Karako was.

"It's just," Karako tried to word it, "that there's something about you. I can't quite place it but there's something there. I know it."

The comment made Ganta smile. Sure, it made him confused. As far as he knew, he was just a normal teenage boy but it felt kind of nice to know that this woman had some sort of belief in him.

There was a loud thud from inside the Queen's room which startled both Ganta and Karako.

"What's going on in there?" Ganta wondered.

"That's just the way Hatter has a meeting," Karako said with a sigh before grinning, "but what say we check for sure?"

Before Ganta could ask, Karako got up and grabbed Ganta by the hand. She led Ganta to a corner of the room where she looked up.

"Climb onto my shoulder and just push up on the vent grate, okay?" she said as she crouched.

Ganta was hesitant but complied and crawled onto Karako's back.

"Are you sure you can hold me?" Ganta asked.

Karako grunted an affirmation and stood up. Ganta wavered a little but balanced and then did as he was told. The grate moved easily.

"Now, climb in," Karako instructed.

Ganta pulled himself up and into the vent. He then looked down at Karako who held out her hands to him. Ganta leaned down as much as possible and Karako used the wall and Ganta's arms to swing herself into the ceiling.

The vent was very spacious and surprisingly dark.

"It's so dark in here," Ganta said.

Karako reached over and took off Ganta's glasses. The vent system turned out to be lit normally.

"We do it to confuse intruders." Karako said, "They think they're in some tunnel of ours and once they hit an actual room, they're so blind that the ambush is almost too easy."

In the bright but normal lighting, Ganta could see that Karako's eyes were honey colored. Her light hair was a white silvery blend and the butterfly bell that jingled around her neck had every color of the rainbow in it.

Karako began to crawl down the vent system and Ganta followed after her. She made a couple of turns and suddenly stopped. She turned backwards and handed Ganta his glasses back.

"You'll need these to see once we get to the next grate, otherwise it'll just look like a bunch of light."

Ganta nodded and put the glasses back on and followed Karako until they hit a large vent the face the room. It wasn't a ceiling vent but a wall vent and it allowed them to see and hear easily into the room.

"I'm not going on some wild goose chase and that's final!" Senji bellowed.

"You might as well tell me that you have her, Hatter, it's written all over your face," said a dry, female voice.

Ganta looked at what was presumably the White Queen. She wore a heavily decorated uniform, long more feminine boots, and short but manageable crown. She'd looked more like a prince than a queen if it wasn't for her rather impressive bust and the long locks of straight black hair that broke from her ponytail.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Senji said as he stuffed his arms in his pockets.

"It's strange of you to be this protective of her," the queen said, "makes me wonder if there is any truth to those old prophecies."

"Fables," Senji corrected, "and there ain't. The Alice doesn't exist Makina so just drop it already."

"According to what the Cat has told Red, she does exist and that is Queen Makina to you Hatter."

Ganta looked over to Karako, about to ask a question but Karako held a finger to her lips and shook her head. Ganta nodded and let the scene play out.

"Look, Senji," Queen Makina said, "if the Alice is real then she may be the means to turn the tides of this war."

Senji was quiet. He didn't move and he wasn't even looking at the queen.

"Does she exist, Senji?" the Queen asked, the air in the room shifting, "After all, you'd be the one to know wouldn't you?"

Senji began to blush.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he said.

The Queen smiled. The smile was curt though and more satisfactory than kind.

"So then, the prophecies are true," she said, "and' Hatter will know Alice by sight, in hush. Two souls bound mates that have yet to touch.'"

"I don't believe in myths, Makina," Senji growled.

"Just slight creationism and free will, right?" the queen fired back, her voice still dry and sounding somewhat annoyed, "It's strange though, with your slight gynophobia, you'd think you'd never love a-"

Makina stopped and her eyes seemed to widen. Her mouth fell open slightly. It was shock but very scaled back for appearance sake.

"She's...a he, isn't he?" Makina said.

Ganta glanced over to Karako, hoping she might show some indication of what 'the Alice' was but Karako just stared at Ganta, with both hand over her mouth and wide eyed.

Senji couldn't hide his fear in what the queen had deduced and that fear quickly turned to anger.

"You can't take him, Makina!" Senji yelled, "I'm not going to let him get sacrificed in your war, you understand me?"

"'And in the end, Alice and Wonderland will part but not without the beat of the Tumtum's heart'," Makina recited.

The line seemed to bring the room to a hush. Makina stood up from her throne like chair, surrounded with constant footage of Wonderland flashing on hundreds of screens. She descending down the stairs from her platform and stood face to face with Senji.

"I won't force the Alice to do anything," Makina said, "but if he is indeed the Alice and the prophecies are even the slightest bit right, which it appears they are, then he'll make the decision on his own and you cannot stop him, Hatter."

Senji looked down. His fists were balled tight and his mouth was grim line. Makina stepped away from him and looked directly into the vent.

"Karako," she said in the direction of the vent, "you and your friend may enter now."

Senji looked to the vent with surprise.

"What the hell?" he asked.

Karako stared back through the grate, wide eyed. She quietly pushed the vent grated off with muted but surprisingly force. She slid her legs out and landed safely. Ganta still hid in the dark, not sure if he should come out or not.

"And your friend?" Makina said, more bored sounding than irritated.

"It's okay, Ganta," Karako coaxed.

Senji's eyes grew wide as Ganta slid out from the vent. Ganta wasn't as graceful as Karako but Senji made a quick dash and caught him bridal style.

Makina walked up to Ganta, who still remained quiet and confused. What was an Alice? Why was it a boy and not a girl? What did the Alice do?

Ganta looked up at Senji with a sense of slight hurt.

_And does Senji really...love him?_

Makina stared Ganta down so much that Ganta felt it and turned to look at her. Her glasses were tinted black but under them Ganta could see that her eyes were as dark if not darker than her midnight hair. Everything about her screamed precision, power, the elegance of cutting so close to the point that it was deadly.

Makina bowed to Ganta and the gesture surprised him.

"Greetings," she said, "I am Makina, the second White Queen by tribute, not blood, and you I, presume, are Ganta...the Alice."

**A/N: Holy balls, when did I get so serious? Wasn't this fluff a chapter ago? Ah well. Until next time then.**


	5. A Little History

**A/N: Ugh, I've been sick for a few days now guys so my editing skills are worse than usual. I'll be sure to go over the first four chapters again soon so I can fix them. Until them, just bear with me. I'm ill! D:**

"You're- _you're_ the Alice," Karako said before smiling, "I knew it! I knew I sensed something special about you."

Senji held Ganta's body close and in a tight grip. Ganta suddenly realized this and struggled against Senji with agitation.

"Put me down damn it!" Ganta scolded him.

Senji looked down at Ganta who struggled against him so passionately. He grimaced, annoyed with how annoyed Ganta was getting.

"Fine," Senji said before dropping Ganta harshly.

Ganta let out a yelp as he fell and landed hard on his butt. He rubbed at his lower back and glared at Senji.

"You don't have to be such an ass," Ganta grumbled.

"And you don't have to be such an ungrateful little shit," Senji scoffed before beginning to walk towards the door.

It was the first time the Hatter had been harsh with Ganta. Not that Ganta wasn't aware at this point that Senji was on the tough side but still up until this point Senji had just dealt harsh realities, mostly silence and a lot of force but he had never said or done anything particularly mean up until that point.

"Hey, wait!" Ganta called after him and scrambled to his feet, "Where are you going?"

Senji shrugged casually but didn't bother to look back at Ganta. It made Ganta a little annoyed that Senji wouldn't face him but he chalked it up to Senji's ways.

"Cat's outta the bag, kid," he said, "and since you're in such a damn hurry to help yourself then I guess you don't need me anymore. Besides, I'm sure Queenie here wants to have a little talk with you."

Ganta looked again at the White Queen. She really was a very beautiful woman. She had these full lips colored a dark raspberry color. It seemed to be the only speck of color on her otherwise black and white pallet even down to the pale skin and dark hair.

"How cute," Makina commented, "a lover's quarrel."

Senji paused, his hand resting on the door handle. Ganta managed to squeak out a confused and slightly embarrassed 'huh?' and Karako seemed just as speechless as any onlooker might be.

Then it hit Ganta. If he was this supposed 'Alice' that Makina referred to him as then that would mean...

_'Hatter will know Alice by sight, in hush. Two souls bound mates that have yet to touch'._

The implication caused Ganta's face to turn red. He had the urge to defend his and Senji's relationship as a friendship but he wasn't so sure he could. Sure, it was obvious that Senji had to be attracted to him then again...

_He did just drop me on my ass._

The pause didn't last long and Senji opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. Ganta wanted to go after him but thought better of it. If the idea that they were some 'bound soul mates' made Ganta uncomfortable then he could only imagine how upsetting it might be to Senji.

_Maybe it doesn't mean like soul mates in a traditional sense. After all everything else here is a little different than the norm so maybe soul mates is just a term for friends, really good friends._

"You and your lover can fix things later," Makina said flatly.

"He- I'm- We're not lovers okay?" Ganta shouted, his face red.

Makina smiled again. Once more it was not of kindness but rather the kind of smile one would present when they heard a mildly amusing inside joke at someone else's expense. Her lips were still closed but it wasn't a smirk. It wasn't proud enough to be a smirk...just satisfied as if she knew something Ganta didn't.

"i'm assuming that since you supposedly fell out of the sky," Makina said as she began to walk up the steps to her grand terminal, "you don't know much about what's going on here. Whether or not you actually fell out of the sky is irrelevant but it's obvious that you're a stranger to our land."

Makina stood at the top of her steps. She motioned for Ganta to join her and Ganta quickly complied.

_Thank God, _he thought as he climbed the steps, _someone's finally going to give me answers!_

"As the Hatter once said," Makina quoted, "'you gotta start at the beginning or else you'll never stop.'"

Ganta felt like the quote was off but it did seem like something Senji would say. It seemed to roll off of Makina's tongue rather effortlessly. Maybe it was because Makina and Senji shared that same quiet aggression that seemed to punctuate the phrase.

"Have a seat, kid," Makina said, giving a nod to her chair.

Ganta did as he was told. Granted, he was both excited and resigned about what he was to learn. After all, he hadn't chosen to come to Wonderland. Wonderland was forced on him. Really, Ganta wanted to go home but as far as he inferred, no one knew of a home outside of Wonderland. Going back the way he came didn't seem possible; how does one fall up? Regardless, Ganta didn't know where home was anyway. Truly, there was nothing outside of Wonderland for him.

"A decade ago there was one and only one ruler of Wonderland," Makina explained as she typed away and brought up images on the screens, "the Red King."

In front of Ganta was an image of thin man with a dark smirk. His dark hair flicked out at the edges just barely tapering out to wispy tips under his crown. He had a trimmed goatee and the foot of throne was a pair of twins. The twins were a pair of albinos, dressed as servants one male and one female.

"He is known as the first generation Red King and he went by the name Hagire."

Makina zoomed in on Hagire's face and Ganta got a better look at the man's eyes. There was something purely deviant about them. Not evil exactly just mad and in the bad sort of way.

"Hagire was a bored king who cared for a little and did little," Makina explained showing corresponding pictures of the the king's apathy, "but then along came Dr. Sorae."

The screen flashed to a picture of a woman who looked nothing more than ordinary. She was pretty but no more than any other woman. Her hair was braided and off to her right. She had a kind face. She wore a lab coat and soft smile.

Ganta couldn't tell what it was but looking at this woman made him feel fondly for her and at the same he felt sad.

"Dr. Sorae had come to the King in hopes that he would assist her with a project." Makina furthered, "The project in question was supposed to build up health of the people and help combat a form of disease that had spread across the land.

The king agreed but reluctantly. For a long time, he showed no interest and then one day there was a child involved in the experiments. No one knows how she got there. Some people Dr. Sorae found her and others say that the Hagire had acquired her himself. Either way, the girl was used for human trials. The girls name was Shiro and her title as the White Rabbit comes from these experments."

On the screen was a picture of a younger Shiro. The small girl was smiling, her eyes at a slant and all teeth bared. Ganta was about to ask a question but Karako shook her head to him, indicating that he ought to let Makina speak and speak she did.

"Something happened with the girl though. Something that went beyond the original intentions. Shiro was fused with unimaginable and painful power. The Red King had long overtaken the experiments at this point and the more wretched the girl became the more infatuated the king was with her.

Dr. Sorae however grew guilty and she realized the devastation she had helped create. Originally, the goal was to infuse the girl with the healing abilities of the Tumtum Tree. If it could be successfully introduced into the body then it could be spread to the public and they need not worry about disease ever again.

Instead, the Red King infused the _power_ of the Tumtum tree into the girl giving her the ability to destroy the tree and as a result, all of Wonderland."

Ganta looked at a picture of the TumTum Tree. It was a magnficent tree with trunk at least a mile in diameter. The branches were hulking deviations of wood that climbed into the air. The leaves were a shimmering emerald green, the beauty aspect of this woodland giant that towered over the land.

"The Red King intended to use the girl for just that," Makina sighed, "It seemed the more he experimented on her, the more mad she became and the more mad she became the more mad her became.

However, Dr. Sorae rallied the people together to stop the Red King. Many of these people died but in the end, the King was stopped. Hagire agreed to relinquish his throne and power, choosing to give it an old man. He also agreed to let there be another kingdom to keep Wonderland in balance. Thus the white kingdom was born and Dr. Sorae became the first White Queen."

There was a picture of Dr. Sorae now transformed into Queen Sorae. Ganta could see the beginning of the militant vibe.

"She was a good queen and the White Kingdom thrived. The Red Kingdom grew quiet under the rule of the old man, who no one knows the name of to this day. There's nothing specific on him other than his favoritism and affection for the White Rabbit who's memory had been wiped in order to keep Wonderland safe.

However, the peace couldn't last forever. The old man passed away quickly and the Queen Sorae was still so racked with guilt over what she'd done to that little girl that she passed away too soon. As a result, a new queen was selected for both kingdoms. I for the white and who knows for the red."

"You don't know who the Red Queen is?" Ganta asked.

"She's a reclusive little hermit if you ask me and everyone is too terrified to give any information on her."

Ganta furrowed his brow.

"Why would they be afraid of her?"

"The Gladitorials," Karako said quietly.

Ganta spun the chair to face Karako. Once again, Karako had this sadness on her face but just behind it was anger.

"What's that?" Ganta asked, too curiously not to ask.

"The Red Queen takes people, does experiments on them," Karako explained, "some willingly but most not and then she pits them against one another to the death."

Karako's sadness was overpowered by her anger and it was displayed blatantly. She looked like she wanted to hit something but was restrained. Her fist turned pale at the knuckles and her arms shook slightly from the urge.

"Karako," Makina said, "calm down. We're going to get back at her for it. It's going to be all right."

The words were more commanding than calming but Karako relaxed enough to seem like she wouldn't burst. She turned away from the screens and began making her way down the steps.

"I should get going," she said quietly but just loud enough to be heard, "nice to have met you, Ganta."

Ganta watched Karako leave and felt sorry for her. As kind as she seemed it was apparent to Ganta that she had been hurt a lot in the past. He wondered if she'd lost someone in the Gladitorials.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ganta asked Makina.

"She just has a lot of bad memories associated with the Gladitorials," Makina answered.

"Did she see them?"

"Kid, she was _in_ them," Makina corrected, "and she was good too. She had a winning streak going for her."

"B-but then that means-"

Makina looked down at Ganta. His innocence was neither charming nor disheartening to her. It was merely a slight annoyance. If this little boy really was the Alice, then he had a lot to learn.

"Yes," Makina sighed, "Karako killed people in battle. The experiments done on her gave her a protective coating she can use at her discretion. She probably would have stayed a gladiator until her dying day if she hadn't been liberated by the Caterpillar."

"Nagi," Ganta recalled.

"So you heard of him?" Makina was slightly surprised, perhaps the boy wasn't as ignorant as he seemed, "Then you're aware that Karako was second in command of his resistance right?"

Ganta shook his head. No, he hadn't known that. There was a lot he didn't know and what he did know was slowly being pieced together.

Makina wasn't sure if she should disclose the entirety of Karako's history to Ganta but then it would help in the long run. Karako's story commanded a sense of sympathy that the young boy was sure to respond with. It would help convince him to help with the war.

"Then you wouldn't know that Karako was in love with Nagi either," Makina said flatly to which Ganta responded with surprise, "The Butterfly and the Caterpillar, leading a revolution together. Until the Red Queen got a hold of Nagi after the failed smoke out attempt. He should have gone in guns blazing but he was determined not to kill any innocents."

Ganta gulped hard. This Red Queen sounded monstrous. She experimented on people, injecting them with power only pit them against each other to the death. Ganta knew that Nagi had lost his life in a game with the Cheshire Cat but he wasn't sure he wanted to know more than that.

"She sentenced him to be toyed with by the Cat," Makina said, "You stay away from Tamaki, kid. He'll drive you mad or he'll kill your trying."

Makina turned Ganta towards her and got right into his face. She stared him down icily. Ganta noticed that she smelled clean but was hinted with a coppery smell, like blood. It was very faint but it still made Ganta tremble.

"This woman needs to be stopped." Makina said, "What I'm about to show you, is going to make you sick to your core. It'll make you want to run and hide but you need to witness it to truly understand. Be prepared, Ganta."

Makina turned the chair back forward. She dimmed the light in the room so low that she took off her glasses. Ganta followed suit. The room grew darker still until the only visible thing was the screens and anything their light managed to reach. The screens combined together to display one large image and Ganta's eyes grew wide as montage of horror assaulted him.

The first was of a man and woman being pushed out from cages on the sidelines into a pit. Around them was a crowd of masked faces watching their every move. The woman looked around confused as to what was happening. The man was a hulking beast, ripped with muscles and a dead look in his eye.

The man suddenly screamed into the air and from his thick torso sprouted two more pairs of arms. They were each as large and muscular as the originals. He barreled himself towards the woman, using his lowest set of arms to thrust himself forward. The woman screamed as he seized her. He grabbed each of her limbs as she cried out for him to stop, cried out to the crowd for help. He pulled on her limbs and her cries for mercy became unintelligible screams.

Her arms and legs were being torn from her body and Ganta watched as they were pulled apart, tendon by tendon. Blood spurted forth, the lingering tissue swaying in the flood. Her face was locked in an expression of horror as she'd gone into shock. Her face rapidly went pale as what was left of her went bloodless.

This was just the first of the footage. As Ganta watched it got worse. Ganta was crying but not silent tears. Ganta felt as if the man from the first clip had sneaked into Ganta's body and was ripping apart his heart by the aortas. Ganta was screaming at the screens, begging for this monstrosity not to be real.

Ganta went to turn his face away but Makina grabbed his skull and forced it towards the screen. Ganta fought the pressure but it was no use. He couldn't shut his eyes either. It was like the function failed him, only allowing him to blink if necessary. He watched as people slaughtered one another. He watched the repulsing theatricals of men tearing one another apart, women brutally attacking each other, men degrading women in battle, women castrating men in the fight. He even watched children fight. Children who were as young as and even younger than Ganta.

Finally, the clips ended. The screens went black as did the whole room. Ganta felt himself gag and hurt. He leaned over and vomited violently. It was as if his body itself couldn't handle what he'd seen. There was so much abhorrent knowledge that had crammed its way into Ganta that there wasn't space for anything else.

The lights began to rise. Makina wordlessly handed Ganta his glasses again and Ganta took them quietly. He put them on. He debated not putting them on and going blind just so he'd never have to see anything so terrible ever again but then the last thing he'd ever see would be those slaughtered people.

Makina handed Ganta a handkerchief. Ganta hesitated to take it but did. It seemed to be the closest thing to a kindness that Makina could manage to do. Ganta wiped his mouth clean.

A knight poked his head into the door. Makina motioned him inside and he obeyed quickly.

"Get this boy to the casual quarters," Makina commanded, "get him some clothes...and send someone to clean up this mess."

Ganta looked up to Makina one last time as the knight approached him. He was so traumatized from the visuals that his face was covered in liquid, mucus, and saliva. His eyes were round, young, innocent and slaughtered in their own right. Makina wondered how it was that this fragile child was going to be their salvation. However, she had some belief in the prophecies and she trusted that the boy would one day rise to his call. After all, Makina was once an innocent child too.

"You don't have to decide anything right now Ganta," Makina said as the knight waited patiently, "but just know that if you do decide to help us, we'll make sure nothing like what you saw ever happens again."

**A/N: And then it got all bloody and gross. :| Well, it is a Deadman fic, it was bound to reach this point some time.**


	6. The Prophecy

**A/N: This chapter ought to clear more things up, not that the previous chapter didn't have its bulk of info. XD**

Ganta stared at the floor. His mind was at a loss for what to do. There'd been so much he'd seen in such a short amount of time, so much he'd learned. He brought his hand to the collar of his shirt and his fingers played rubbed at the somewhat stiff fabric.

When Ganta had been given his set of clothes, he was a little shocked. He was expecting something uniform like everyone else but instead he received an all-black attire; a pair of slacks, a pair of shoes, and then a double breasted jacket with twin golden buttons trailing down from the high collar to the straight edge.

Ganta was curious as to why he had such drastically different clothes but there wasn't anyone to ask. Ganta had been stranded in this room for a few hours now. When the guard had left him, he simply indicated that there was a shower towards the back, that clean clothes would be set out by the time was done and the Queen would summon him later for orders.

Ganta wasn't so sure he liked the idea of being ordered but then, what choice did he have?

Ganta laid down on his bed. Well, at least he assumed it was his for now anyway. The room was pretty spacious. It was clean, all white, no decorations or anything, just a bed, a table and a dresser. In the back had indeed been a shower, a full bathroom actually. Eventually Ganta had inspected the place enough that he found his own light dial and dimmed the room to almost complete darkness. Ganta wasn't sure why but he suddenly felt like the dark wasn't so bad anymore. After the things he'd seen in this light filled kingdom...well the dark certainly couldn't get any worse.

Ganta suddenly noticed voices from outside of his door. He turned over and strained his ear to hear them but he couldn't make out what they were saying. He could tell one voice was female and the other male. It sounded like some kind of argument. The male voice was deep...and certianly annoyed.

_Senji!_ Ganta thought, sitting up slightly.

"Fine!" Senji shouted clearly, "If it'll get you away from me then all right!"

Sure enough, the door was thrown upon and light bombarded Ganta. Ganta went to cover his eyes, let out a yelp of pain and then fell off the bed.

"Close the door!" Ganta yelled.

His command was obeyed and the room went dark again. Ganta very slowly and very cautiously lowered his arms to see Senji standing there without his monicle and with his hand extended down toward Ganta.

"Well," Senji grunted, "c'mon kid, or do you wanna just stay down there?"

Ganta blinked twice and then pouted. He pushed himself off the floor.

"I can get up on my own, Senji," Ganta said as he took a seat back on the bed, "and quit calling me a kid already."

Ganta sat down on the bed. There was a slight puase of silence before Senji decided to sit down on the bed next to Ganta. Their hands brushed against one another for a moment and Ganta flinched away.

"What?" Senji asked.

"L-look," Ganta said, "I know everyone thinks I'm this- Alive or whatever and I know that the Hatter and the Alice are-"

Ganta couldn't bring himself to say it. Just the idea made his stomach tie up in knots and when Senji was so close it didn't help.

"Stop worrying about that," Senji grunted, annoyed.

"How can I?" Ganta asked, refusing to let Senji's tone end the conversation.

There was an even longer pause of silence this time. Ganta akwardly placed his hands on knees and sighed. He knew Senji wasn't one to talk about his feelings but this needed to be cleared because-

_because- because I don' know! It's just weird and akward and I don't know._

"Can you tell me what the propechy is at least?" Ganta asked, resigning to the end of the topic, "Everyong keeps talking about it, so I may as well know what it is."

Senji stood up from the bed and put distance between himself and Ganta. He had his back turned to Ganta as he took off his captain's hat and sat it down on a table. He then walked over to his wall and put his back against it. He was facing Ganta again.

"Hear my child so that you may know," Senji began somewhat reluctantly, "for with these words, the future I'll show."

Ganta leaned in closer. So the prophecy was in rhyme. Interesting and yet, Ganta felt it was right.

"When the Jubjub bird no longer flies

and the Catepillar still and coldly lies

the head of red will come to rise.

Fear the red, its throne of thorns.

The sacrafices not to be mourned-"

"-that's the Red Queen and her kingdom isn't it?" Ganta asked, "...and the Gladitorials."

Senji crossed his arms and looked at Ganta.

"You want to hear it or not?" he asked.

Ganta nodded and allowed Senji to continue.

"The white of light will conquer slight

but not by birth and not by right."

_That's the White Kingdom...and Queen Makina._

_'I am Makina, the second White Queen by tribute, not blood'._

"The red will rise and consume all

until the day of the Alice fall.

Innocent frame, innocent eyes

downcast but Alice too shall rise.

Lost in thought, in reality.

A path is found at a tea party.

Hatter will know Alice by sight, in hush.

Two souls bound mates that have yet to touch.

The Hatter hides Alice under his brim

for Alice is united... as one with him."

There was a bit of an akward pause there. Senji looked off more to his right but Ganta looked directly at Senji. Ganta was a little...breath taken in a way. Before Ganta could make anything of it though, Senji went on.

"But destiny calls Alice into the light

to see horrors of red exposed by white.

Into the red, deeper and deeper still

to the heart and the Jabbewock's kill.

The Jabberwok, my child, shall return

with lying flesh and eyes that burn,

with jaws that grin and claws that die

and all shall be paid, an eye for an eye.

A child of red and a child of white,

the grandest battle Wonderland will fight

And in the end, Alice and Wonderland will part

but not without the beat of the Tumtum's heart.

All have fallen, so sets the sun

in the darkness stands the one."

Ganta was speechless. He could already see correlations between the prophecy and reality and he didn't know what to do with them. More importantly, there was only one question he could manage to ask.

"The one is me isn't it?" Ganta asked quietly, gripping the fabric of his dark pants, "I'm going to be the only person left..."

Senji just huffed at the notion and kept looking off to his right.

"All of this...this craziness," Ganta began to tear up and the anger in his voice became apparent, "All of this suffering just for everyone to die?!"

"Woah," Senji said, his attention now focused on Ganta, "Calm down, will ya?"

Ganta stood up from the bed. His small body seemed to tremble he was so distressed and angry.

"What kind of world is this, huh!?" he screamed, his voice breaking, "What's the point of all this if everyone's going to die!? Why do I have to be left, huh!? Why just me!"

Senji stood up straight and looked at Ganta sternly. He took a few steps towards Ganta. He towered over the boy, looking down at him.

"Calm down, kid," Senji said, "for all we know you may not even be the Alice."

"You know I am!" Ganta shouted and pushed Senji away from him "I know you know! Why else would you try so hard to hide me if I wasn't? You knew it when you saw me! It says so in the prophecy! YOU KNOW WHAT I AM!"

Senji grabbed Ganta by the wrists and held him firmly. Ganta tried to pull away from him. Ganta was crying so hard and he wasd so embarrassed but he knew he couldn't stop.

"Okay!" Senji shouted, "All right? I _did_ know!"

Ganta seemed to snap out of his sobbing and begin to calm down. Senji had a pained look on his face, stern as the pain might be and the expression forced Ganta to calm, to concerned with it to panic anymore.

"I just didn't know I knew..." Senji admitted.

"...wh- what do you mean?" Ganta asked as he sniffled.

Senji sighed and released Ganta's wrist. He resigned himself back to the bed where he sat looking somewhat defeated. Senji didn't want to talk about this but there was really no getting around it.

_Everybody's gotta fess up at some point_, he reasoned.

"I just...I knew you were something special," Senji said, "The minute I saw you, I knew I liked you. I don't like just anybody, kid."

Ganta recalled their first meeting; that strange approval and affection he felt from Senji's smile, the lingering touches, the way Senji just up and spirited him away to the mushroom tops.

"When Dormouse told me that the Queen wanted me to find something, I didn't let her finish because I knew that something was you."

"But you still brought me here," Ganta argued.

"They were going to find you one way or another," Senji pointed out, sounding a little irritated, "and I'd prefer the Makina find you over the Red Queen, but I wasn't going to just hand you over. I had to know what they had in mind...I had to try and protect you."

_'The Hatter hides Alice under his brim.'_

"I didn't care if you were the Alice or not," Senji said, "I just knew I had to keep you safe and if they thought you were the Alice...the way the prophecy is viewed, it means either one of two things."

Ganta didn't bother to ask what it meant. He just waited for Senji to collect himself enough to say it.

"Yeah, you could be the only one that survives," Senji, "but the way it was explained to me, it means you're going to die."

"What?!" Ganta squeaked.

"Think about it, kid," Senji tried to explain, "_Alice and Wonderland will part but not without the beat of the Tumtum's heart_. If you take the Tumtum's heartbeat, you take Wonderland's heartbeat. If that's done, it means you're a goner."

"But it says that there will be one in the dark," Ganta pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's anyone's guess who that one is..."

There was absolute silence as the possibilities sunk in. So either the whole world died except for Ganta or Ganta died with it. Either way, all of Wonderland was destined for an end.

"Why is this happening?" Ganta asked.

Senji seemed to understand without Ganta explaining.

"I know everything here looks nice," Senji said, "but it's not like that at all. It's fucked up and, I hate to say it, but maybe this is the way it's got to be."

"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," Ganta said.

"I believe in the nature of things," Senji grunted, "and the nature of things is to kill."

"There's got to be another way," Ganta said quietly, "It can't all be for nothing."

"It's not," Senji pointed out, "these people, the white kingdom, most of Wonderland, would rather die than be subjected to the Red Queen. And they'd die trying. They'd bring down the whole damn world to stay free."

Ganta went and sat down on the bed again. He could understand the idea of rather dying than living in hell. He just wished there was some other way.

"Do you think that's going to happen?" Ganta asked, "Do you think everything's going to die?"

"It's starting to look that way," Senji said, rubbing his neck.

"...then why would you try to keep me from fufilling my destiny?" Ganta asked.

Senji didn't say anything to Ganta. Ganta didn't look at Senji when he asked his question either. He just waited in anticipation and silence. If the whole world really was destined to die in this war, then why stop Ganta from bringing it to the end? Why try to prolong the suffering? Or worse, make it so that it would never end?

Suddenly, a strong hand laid on Ganta's shoulder. Ganta looked at it with surprise and said nothing as Senji abruptly pulled Ganta closer. Ganta was leaning over and in front of Senji's chest. Senji's hand met with Ganta's slowly. Senji's hands sheltered Ganta's and Senji rested his head on top of Ganta's.

It should have been awkward but each movement was so slow that it was almost like a question. _Is this okay?_ Senji's arms asked and Ganta's seemed to reply _Yeah._

Senji held Ganta in his arms. It just felt right. The way they were with each other, the intimacy, the closeness, even the underlying sexual implications. Ganta had the urge to turn and kiss Senji. He wanted to just lean over and invite Senji's lips to his own. He wanted to let all this happen.

However, the door opening and the light that flooded in sort of killed the moment. Senji reacted quickly, turning hiding Ganta underneath him.

"Close the door!" Senji shouted, "Geez, I've only got one eye left and you're gonna make it blind?"

Ganta struggled under Senji but it was the equivalent of fighting against a brick wall. Ganta let out muffled cries of irritation.

_Why does he always do that?_ he thought. annoyed.

"Oh," Karako's voice said, amused, " Am I- interrupting something?"

Senji lifted his body enough so that he could look at Ganta. Senji's face had a blush to it but Ganta's was beat red. Ganta was pinned under Senji. He felt flustered but at the same time he felt a little turned on.

Senji looked down to see the slight bump of aurosal in Ganta pants. He smirked a little.

"Shoe's on the other foot now, huh, kid?" Senji said.

Ganta scrambled under Senji and freed himself. Embarrassed, he covered his slight erection and prayed it would go away. It didn't help the awkwardness any that Karako was now in the room either.

"We were just-" Ganta's mind blanked for an excuse,"- just talking."

Karako smiled at Ganta a grin that seemed to say '_yeah right._' She had already closed the door at this point and casually walked up to the table where she picked up Ganta's glasses and Senji's monocle. She handed them to the two.

"Listen," Karako said, standing before the two men sitting on the bed, "Queen Makina doesn't have time to ask this herself, so it looks like it's going to have to be me and I need to know...are you with us?"

There was quiet as the question sat heavily in the air. Ganta didn't know how to reply at first. He couldn't just let people suffer. So many already had. Ganta had seen people literally be pulled apart. Even before they were slaughtered, most of them were mentally unstable or just plain terrified. The prophecy indicated that this type of rule, these horrors would expand adn Ganta couldn't live with himself if he did nothing.

But was the only option death? For everyone, for himself?

"What do I have to do?" Ganta asked.

Senji's head snapped toward Ganta.

"Hey," Senji said, "you don't have to answer her."

Ganta didn't look at Senji. He couldn't say why but he just couldn't look at him.

"So that's how its going to be," Senji said.

Senji got up and made his way for the door. Karako was about to say something but Ganta shook his head and she let it go. Senji left and once more the room went quiet.

"Just tell me one thing," Ganta said, "is it true that everyone is going to die?"

Karako cocked her head to the side and looked a little concerned for him. She sat down beside him on the bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Who told you that?" she asked.

"The prophecy..." Ganta said.

Karako laughed lightly.

"Look, kiddo," she said, "the prophecy does have a lot of truth to it but its not always how it seems."

"What do you mean?" Ganta asked.

Karako smiled and gestured to Ganta.

"Well," she said, "take you for example. For the past some odd hundred years, everyone thought you were supposed to be a girl and look."

Ganta wasn't quite sure how to take that but he ended up smiling at Karako in the end. There was some comfort in that. The poem did seem obscure in a lot of places but maybe that was the point.

"You really think I'm the Alice?" Ganta said.

"I know you are." Karako answered quickly, "There's something special about you, Ganta. I can feel it.

Ganta felt a little special in that regard and at the same he felt like the title was a bit much. He was _destined_ and stuff. It seemed like a bit much to be destined for something. Ganta wasn't so sure he had that much muchness in him.

"All have fallen, so sets the sun and in the darkness stands the one," Karako recited before smiling, "I like to think that means one side, one kingdom."

Karako put a hand over Ganta's to reassure him. She gave a little squeeze on his fingers and then relaxed. The somberness of her sad aura returned and she looked at Ganta very seriously.

"Even if we do all fall," Karako said, "At least the red falls too. No one will ever have to suffer that way, never again. I'd take the peace of death over constant torture any day...you may have seen the clips...but I was in the Gladitorials, Ganta. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"I'm sorry," Ganta said.

Karako put an arm around him. It was a friendly gesture, soft and casual but still comforting. With the shift in her weight, her bell jingled quietly. The colorful little buttferly was a little dishelved and sat off center. She still had that sad look on her face.

"Don't be," she said, "it's not your fault."

Karako gave another squeeze to Ganta, this time around his arm. She pulled her arm back and rested her hands on her lap. She sighed and Ganta wondered just what it was that was going on in her mind. She'd been through a lot, that much could be assumed at this point. Ganta couldn't help but feel that it wasn't just the Gladitorials. Somewhere, he knew that her pain had a lot to do with the Catepillar, Nagi.

_She _is_ the Butterfly, it's not really a stretch to think that they're involved somehow._

Ganta also knew somewhere in his heart that it was better that he didn't ask.

"So Ganta, what's it going to be?" Karako said.

She held out his hand to him. It was dark, soft looking in a strange way. Her fingers were a little long but they were slender and lithe. Her face was feminine, pretty but her short hair and stark colors made her look exotic and fierce.

Ganta took off his glasses for a moment, they were still unecessary in the mostly dark room. As he did, he looked into Karako's eyes. They were a golden yellow, bright and glimmering in the dark. They were like tiger's eyes and they spoke volumes of ferocity and power...and goodness.

Karako was a good person. Ganta could see that. It was a little hard to tell with the others but Karako was absolute in her goodness. Someone this smart, this strong and this good wouldn't back a cause that wasn't worth it. And even if it wasn't worth it, those tiger eyes had seen so much...they even made Ganta start believe that it was at least worth dying for.

"I'm in," Ganta said, taking and shaking Karako's hand.

"Good," Karako said with a smile, "then that means we've got to go hunting."

"Hunting?" Ganta asked, "For what?"

Karako got up from the bed and her hips swayed as she approached the door. She brought a finger up to her bell and gave it tap, letting the little bell chime cheekishly.

"Why, a duchess of course."

**A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN. O:**


End file.
